


an endless search

by Mayarene Rose (Paradise_of_Mary_Jane)



Series: Whumptober 2019 [2]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-01 13:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20815685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradise_of_Mary_Jane/pseuds/Mayarene%20Rose
Summary: Donna lost Dick and Wally five hours ago in an explosion.





	an endless search

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2: Explosion
> 
> Companion piece to _sacrifice_. You should probably read that first.

Donna lost Dick and Wally five hours ago in an explosion. 

It’s hard to keep time without a watch, but she’s sure it’s been five hours. She was counting. Each second she can’t find Dick and Wally, each second they might be in danger. She needs to keep track of those things. The three of them were standing next to each other one moment, then an instant of noise and fire and blood, and suddenly they weren’t. Dick and Wally were gone and Donna had no idea where they were. 

She’s been searching for the past four hours. Her arm was broken and she’s cut up and scraped from the shrapnel but she hasn’t stopped. A stupid voice in the back of her head keeps telling her there’s no point. That she barely survived the explosion as it is and there’s no way for a regular human to, even one with quick healing.

She’s getting pretty good at telling that voice to shut up.

Behind her, Roy says, “We’re going to find them.”

She found Roy two hours ago, out of weapons and nearly out of options while surrounded by the robots intent on killing them or taking them prisoner. It had made her see red. She couldn’t stand to lose anyone else. 

Donna tore through the enemy with her bare hands and Roy’s been with her since. He was exhausted but refused to rest. Donna promised to come back for him once she found Dick and Wally but he insisted on coming.

She gets that. She doesn’t want to be alone, either.

“I know,” she says. 

\--

Somehow, the invasion _still _caught them off-guard.

It wasn’t the first time someone tried to take over the Earth. You’d think they’d be used to it by now, that they’d be more prepared, that they’d have a plan. 

They didn’t. Of course they didn’t. That’s the thing with alien forces, even with the Green Lanterns’ help, it’s practically impossible to keep track of them. They can barely keep up with the technological innovation on their own planet as it is. 

So they were caught off-guard.

The invaders stole people from them, took them in huge explosions of light and fire. At least they’re pretty sure they’re being taken. That’s the predominant theory. There are no remnants of the people caught in an explosion, after all. 

They usually take heroes, though sometimes they don’t. They took a lot of heroes before the robots made contact with Earth. When they did, the community was spread out too thin. Too many had gone missing. They couldn’t fight them properly.

That doesn’t mean they didn’t try.

It’s been a week since first contact. It’s been an entire day since Dick and Wally disappeared.

Eventually Roy, says, “We should make camp for the night. Catch a few hours. We’re not finding them out here in the dark.”

Donna knows that he’s right. Still, part of her wants to protest. Who knows what Dick and Wally are going through? She can’t just leave them. She can’t just give up.

“They’re alive, Donna,” Roy says. “We’re going to find them.”

“I know,” she says, and relents. 

For now.

\--

Four days pass.

The battle turns in their favor but the missing heroes stay missing. The Green Lanterns offer their support and once they figured out how to shut down the robots en masse, things got easier. The only problem with shutting down the robots is it destroys them, too, which means there’s no way to get intel. No one has any idea where the stolen heroes are.

And everyone’s certain that they were stolen. That’s about as far as they got, in terms of intel.

They’ve lost a lot. Losing the Flash and Nightwing at the same time hit everyone hard. Not to mention all the other heroes. The Justice League and the current roster of Titans were effectively halved. Titans West has completely disappeared. The JSA is down to Stargirl and Jay Garrick. 

The list goes on.

They say they’re going to get them back but so far they haven’t. Donna holds up hope. She can’t afford to do anything else.

She keeps on searching.

\--

Another day.

They find one of the prisons. It’s cloaked in magic because it wasn’t enough that the aliens had to be good with technology, they had to have some strange form of magic, as well. Doctor Fate, Raven, and Zatanna had to combine powers just to track it, which. Before that no one even knew they _could _combine powers. Some of the heroes are there, but not all. They’re all weary and a lot worse for wear, but alive. Apparently there was an interrogation involved. They wanted every single bit of information on the technological systems of earth. They wanted to know about Earth’s defenses. They wanted to know the best way to kill them.

Dick and Wally weren’t there.

They find the other prisons. Free the remaining heroes. Still, they’re not there.

Donna clenches her jaw and keeps searching.

\--

“You should get some rest, Donna.”

“Not yet.”

“You’re killing yourself.”

“I’m _fine._ I need to find them.”

“We will. They’re alive. You just have to believe that.”

Donna clenches her fist. She does. She believes. She can’t afford not to.

Her faith is the only thing keeping the grief at bay.

\--

On the seventh day since they disappeared, Wally escapes.

Dick isn’t with him.

Donna takes one look at his grey pallor and tear-stained face and understands.

Her faith shatters. It leaves its jagged edges in her heart.

**Author's Note:**

> .... sorry? feel free to yell at me on [tumblr](https://acediscowlng.tumblr.com)


End file.
